Date:         Sun, 19 May 1996 11:59:35 -0300
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Roy Nicholl <rnicholl@asg.unb.ca>
Subject:      '62? standard bus (was 'Colour combinations for a '62 standard')

The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
that has been posted as well.


Since yesterday's posting about the "peach" '62? standard I found while
out exercising the new Yoko's on my Jetta, I have learned much.
For example, I received a response asking if the posting was a
"troll"...Hmm, thought I, maybe 'troll' is some form of nickname for
Bricks with the 36bhp or 40bhp power(less) plants....  When later,
after inquiring to the author of the email, I discovered that 'troll'
implied that my posted find was suspect of being a mirage rather than
an old Brick in a farmer's dooryard, I was rather shocked; though I
can see the natural scepticism of the list towards postings of this
nature.

To aid in verifying the facts, I gathered together a list of
additional points to look for (thanks to Rusty VanBondo and Dieter
Dworkin), and looked upon this as both a learning experience and an
excuse to take the newly shod Jetta for another relaxing set of
hairpin turns :-).   This time the "old fellow" himself was home....he
asked I straight off if I was the 'long-hair' that spoke to his
daughter-in-law yesterday.  He seemed very eager to talk about his
brick and to let I crawl around the engine compartment.  He confirmed
that the colour was not "peach" but "salmon" (as Rusty VanBondo
suggested in his email) and that he did purchase the bus new in '62
(though he couldn't remember if it was a '60, '61 or '62 model [he did
imply that it was a 'leftover' on the dealer's lot])

At this time, I took out my check list and started hunting around.
The bus does have an air intake (eyebrow) on the front of the cab,
though it is different from that on my '67.  When we got to the engine
compartment, I was told that the power(less) plant was in fact a 40bhp
and not a 36 and that fixture that looked like it was for a spare tyre
(along with the generator) he had installed himself --they came from
his old bus ..."Old bus? This thing is nearly 40yrs old what the hell
could he mean by old bus."  When I asked, he sent me off into a clump
of trees behind the barn...about 50ft in was the remains of a bus I
had only previously seen in pictures (and Mexico City).  Wading out of
the woods, I had more questions than when I went in...

The "old fellow" was obviously enjoying the entire event.  He says
that he gets one or two fellows a year that stop in to inquire about
the brick in the yard and that he loves to see the expressions on
their faces after they return from the woods behind the barn.
Apparently, that carcass is why he bought the salmon bus that lured I
into his drive in the first place.  He had stayed in Europe after VE
day and had brought the '52 bus back with the goal of using it to
start a tour business for Americans coming to the Miramichi for
Salmon fishing, but ended up using it as a family camper.  In 1960/61
(he was unsure exactly which year) he had lent the bus to a family
member who decided to re-fuel with the engine running.  As the filler
cap was in the engine compartment this proved to be a bad idea and the
bus burnt.  This is where the tyre rack [which he discovered after he
installed it in the new bus that there was not enough room to get a
tyre in past the engine] and the generator [it was a spare] came
from.  He also stated that if he had any idea back then that these old
buses would become such a sought after commodity he would have never
towed it into the woods...(Arrgh!)

So this explains the odd characteristics of this bus that lead some to
believe I was posting a 'troll' to the list.  In all the excitement of
the event I forgot to get the vehicle number to pinpoint the exact
year of this salmon brick (oh well another trip is needed).  I did ask
him if he was interested in selling to a good home, but he still wants
to fix up the bus to go camping again one last summer.  I offered to
help him get it running in exchange for first opportunity to purchase
when he does decide to sell....He said that he would think about
it...:-)

So my new question is "How does one convince an old farmer to sell his
bus?

Bugs & Things,

Roy